


Valentine Twenty-Four

by Kantayra of Yore (Kantayra)



Category: Angel: the Series
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2004-07-04
Updated: 2004-07-04
Packaged: 2017-10-21 01:00:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,727
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/219170
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kantayra/pseuds/Kantayra%20of%20Yore
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Harmony's Valentine's Day hopes are crushed, she finally remembers why being the most popular girl in high-school was so much fun. And why maybe she doesn't need Spike, after all. Set in AtS S5.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Valentine Twenty-Four

It was five minutes until she got off work. With a resigned sigh, Harmony began tidying her desk for the evening. Notes and phone messages, all bearing hearts written in her favorite pink pen, were thrown away one by one as she assessed whether or not they’d be needed again. Most were in the computer already, anyway.

With an air of disappointed finality, she packed up her purse for the evening – second-rate designer knock-offs were all she could afford on a secretary’s salary – and got up to go home and spend another long night with alone.

That was, until the elevator button dinged, and the doors opened.

Now, Harmony had been watching those doors diligently from the moment she came in that morning. Every single other visitor to the law firm had been a lawyer, mail boy, secretary, accountant, and the occasional odd Krelik Demon demanding some kind of closure on whatever had happened in the helicopter with their heir apparent, the two dozen bags of fresh-cut broccoli, and their collection of miniature tribal statues of green orangutans.

Harmony was getting dangerously close to running out of polite excuses for the demon clan. That, and she’d had to permanently hide the neat green monkey party favors that the company had given out at the employee luncheon last week. After all, she wasn’t stupid.

So, anyway, when the door opened one last time, she’d already long given up interest in checking out the occupant and instead saw it as her free ticket out of this hellhole.

“Can you hold the—” she called out over her shoulder, grabbing the last file she needed to arrange by tomorrow. The doors closed with a ding, and she winced in anticipation of waiting for the elevator to cycle back around to the upper floors again. “—Door…” she finished belatedly.

“Oh, sorry ‘bout that.”

Harmony froze abruptly, still bent over the drawer of her desk. But, really, that accent was unmistakable. As inconspicuously as she could, she ran a hand through her hair and straightened her short red miniskirt. The extra expensive one she’d worn just for today.

“Spikey!” She smiled, trying not the sound overly-excited or desperate. Not at all like she’d been waiting around all day, hoping that he’d come in. Right.

He winced slightly at the nickname. “Poofter in?” he asked instead.

Harmony bit her lip to hide her disappointment. Of course, he’d come to see Angel. Probably on some vital world-saving business. Honestly, what had she been expecting? That one day he’d come through those doors for her, sweep her off her feet and carry her away with him? Yeah, right.

She paused, reflected a moment. Well, okay, so maybe that was one of her favorite fantasies. It was getting increasingly unlikely, however. So, while she was at it, she might as well add the Bahamas, several scantily clad beach boys, and her very own pony. Ooh, that was nice…

“Yeah, he’s in,” she responded dully, unable to keep the gloom out of her voice as the fantasy inevitably shattered. The elation of seeing him again was rapidly wearing off as she realized once more that he just didn’t see her…

“Right. Thanks.”

Spike strode past the desk without even noticing her skirt. Harmony was beginning to wonder if the soul made him, like, impotent or something. Well, there was that one time, but then her eyes had started bleeding, and she didn’t really remember much. Except that her outfit had been totally ruined…

“Oh, Harm,” Spike seemed to realize belatedly, stopping before the door to Angel’s office, “happy Valentine’s Day.”

Harmony knew a squeal of excitement would be very, very non-sexy, but it was hard to suppress. As it was, she squeaked slightly on her first word. “Happy Valentine’s Day.” Oh, was she glad she couldn’t blush anymore.

He gave her a soft smile, eyes deep and blue, and she could swear she was drowning. But then he turned back to the task at hand.

She took a deep breath, steeled up her courage. “Do you want to do something? I mean, after you talk to Angel.” She didn’t have a pulse, so why did it feel like it was racing?

His expression instantly turned cautious. “Prob’ly not a good idea there,” he pointed out. “Remember that whole ‘just friends’ conversation?”

She did remember. And she was trying her very best to be ‘just friends’ with him. But, really, how was she supposed to manage that when just the sound of his voice, the barest glimpse, or overhearing his name made her feel alive and beautiful again? But she still tried because it seemed to make him happy, made him softer and nicer to her…

“We could go out just as friends,” she insisted hopefully. “Just for a drink or something.”

He gave her an apologetic smile. “Doubt that’d work on your part.”

Inwardly, she sulked. Not only because he vanished into the office without another word, but also because he _always_ had to be right. Because, yeah, it would’ve meant a lot more to her than just friends having dinner. It would’ve meant the world to her, renewed hope, a chance for one last kiss, and maybe – just maybe – he’d finally realize this time that he’d been in love with her all along…

“Yeah, right,” she grumbled under her breath.

And, oh, she felt pathetic for waiting to leave for twenty minutes in some hope that they could take the elevator back down together. But she did it just the same.

Eventually, she figured out that he’d be suspicious if she was still here, since she’d obviously been about to leave. She weighed her self-image against the exciting little fantasy that the power would go out, and they’d get rapped together in the elevator overnight. Maybe Angel would get caught with them, and the both of them – in a fit of sudden honesty – would finally confess that they both desperately wanted her. At once.

Shaking the wish off, she finally took the elevator down to the parking garage alone. It didn’t help much that Spike’s scent lingered, reminding her once again of what she couldn’t have.

She was feeling downright depressed as she walked to her car. _Worst Valentine’s Day ever…_

As if the universe itself wanted to reaffirm her assessment, suddenly a scream sounded through the parking garage. Harmony covered her ears, wincing in pain.

“Oh, that is _it_!” she announced to nobody and everybody, stalking over in the direction of the disturbance.

She blinked in disbelief at the scene before her. Two vampires in game face had cornered one of the human employees as he was leaving work, intent on feeding. The human whimpered as one held him down, the other’s fangs inching toward his throat.

“You have _got_ to be kidding me!” Harmony exclaimed in shock.

The two male vampires froze at that, looking up in surprise to see that they had an audience.

“Hello?” Harmony demanded. “Wolfram and Hart? World’s largest demon law firm, as in worst place in the world to hunt?”

They stared at her blankly.

“What, were you turned yesterday?” she demanded with a sarcastic roll of her eyes.

“Well, actually…” the heavier of the two began.

The other nudged him in the ribs. “Forget about this guy,” he said, releasing the human who was still screeching loudly. “We’ve just found ourselves sweeter prey.”

Harmony let out an offended gasp as they stalked toward her. “Prey?” she sputtered indignantly. “Like, vampire here!”

The two froze.

“Is she kidding, man?”

“Get her!”

“I sooo don’t need this after my crappy day.” With a put-upon sigh, Harmony studied the manicure of her left hand. Huh. Polish was in danger of chipping on her index finger.

The first vampire rushed her…

And the stake was out of her purse, lightning-quick. Caught the shocked fledgling right in the heart. The other froze in terror just out of reach.

“Told you so,” Harmony commented huffily, brushing away the dust from her face and clothes with a look of disgust.

He fled.

Annoyed, she turned back to her car…

“Y-You saved me.”

Oh, yeah. The leftover meal.

“Any vampires stupid enough to hunt here deserve it.” Never mind that that was sort of how she’d gotten her first job interview…

“Thanks.”

Belatedly, she recognized the human she’d saved and groaned inwardly. Great. Lorne’s stupid, obnoxious assistant. The very same one she fought with every morning for the microwave. Why did she do good deeds again?

“Forget about it…uh, Dan?” she guessed correctly.

“I owe you big time,” he insisted, smiling shakily and brushing himself off.

“You might want to, like, carry a stake,” she pointed out a bit cattily. “Because, hello? Tasty human with demons all around? It’s just common sense, really.”

“You’re right,” he agreed, nodding eagerly. “I’m lucky you came along.”

“Damn right.”

“Do you want to go to dinner?” The words were blurted from his mouth so quickly, it sounded like one very long nervous word.

Harmony gave him an incredulous look.

“Not tonight,” he amended, “because someone as pretty as you are already has a date on Valentine’s day, I’m sure. But just whenever. In repayment for saving my life.”

Harmony opened her mouth to say no. Even if he was kind of cute. Because, hello? Mortal enemies, constantly at war over who got prime fridge space in the break room and who didn’t have to put toner in the copier. Plus, he’d stolen her broccoli salad.

Enemies like that just did not date because they hated each other and…

She froze, considering her words again. Mortal enemies dating…

And grinned.

“Tonight’s good.” She offered him a dazzling smile.

“R-Really? Great.”

His cheeks looked red, and she could smell his excitement. Apparently, he little miniskirt was working wonders on him.

“Aren’t you going to offer me your arm?” she demanded somewhat testily.

Instantly, it was offered, and she accepted. It was nice to have a guy falling over his feet to please her, she realized. Maybe Spike had hit something there with his suggestion that she move on…

“So,” she asked with a haughty flip of her hair, accepting the ride in his car, “have you ever seen The Last Unicorn?”

He smiled.

And Harmony would’ve sworn her heart was flip-flopping again. Maybe this Valentine’s Day wasn’t so bad, after all…


End file.
